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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24655795">hey, i just met you (and this is crazy)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/callunavulgari/pseuds/callunavulgari'>callunavulgari</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, Las Vegas, M/M, Meet-Cute</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:54:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24655795</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/callunavulgari/pseuds/callunavulgari</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It is three in the morning and Roxas has been manning the front desk for thirteen hours straight when The Guy™ walks in. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Axel/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>hey, i just met you (and this is crazy)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neitzarr/gifts">Neitzarr</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>From <a href="https://callunavulgari.tumblr.com/post/620321516663586816/send-me-a-ship-and-a-number-and-ill-write-a-short">this meme</a>: neitzarr said: hi id like to order a 30 with Axel &amp; Roxas, and a side of funny hats. </p><p>For those that don't feel like clicking on the link, a 30 is tourist/knowledgeable local au. I chose Vegas because I've actually been there and also, I got a sense of glee making the parallel between Vegas = Twilight Town and New York = The World That Never Was. The hotel they're at is <a href="https://mirage.mgmresorts.com/en.html">The Mirage</a>. It is awesome and way too fucking expensive and there's supposed to be a <a href="https://www.visitlasvegas.com/listing/aquarium-at-the-mirage/32843/">giant fucking fish tank</a> behind Roxas but somehow I never got around to mentioning it. Also, their lobby smells weirdly delicious. </p><p>As for the hat, I said that I would write about whatever hat appeared first when I googled 'funny hats' and uh, <a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61d5oDgEQgL._SR500,500_.jpg">I got this one</a>.</p><p>Also also, I was going to write all the way up to the wedding, up to and including their dates, but then I got tired and realized if I tried to write more I'd be forcing it. But! The places that Roxas wants to take Axel are: <a href="https://www.neonmuseum.org/the-collection/neon-boneyard">The Neon Boneyard</a>. <a href="http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire">Valley of Fire Park</a>. <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/akhob">Akhob</a>. And not mentioned but was planned, <a href="https://www.vegas.com/restaurants/pizza/secret-pizza-las-vegas/">Secret Pizza</a>. Oh and Axel's sister was going to get married on the <a href="https://www.littlechapel.com/las-vegas-wedding-chapels/high-roller">High Roller by an Elvis impersonator</a>, because I said so.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It is three in the morning and Roxas has been manning the front desk for thirteen hours straight when The Guy™ walks in. </p><p>Roxas? Roxas is tired. His eyes sting every time he blinks and there’s a weird buzzing noise in his left ear that hasn’t gone away for the last two hours. The combination of smells and noises coming from the casino a hundred feet away has given him a horrible stress headache and in the last half hour he has had to smile and pleasantly greet not one, but <em>two</em> guests, both of whom had their own companions wrapped tightly around their waists in poses that seemed more reminiscent of a boa constrictor than a human being.</p><p>He is, as previously mentioned, fucking exhausted. He hasn’t eaten since one in the afternoon and the girl with the funny tattoos who was supposed to relieve him at midnight was a no call no show, so now he’s stuck here until the morning assholes take over at 5am.</p><p>When The Guy™ walks in, Roxas’s first thought isn’t about the legs that go on for days or the fire engine red hair. It’s not about the sliver of hip peeking out from beneath a threadbare heather gray t-shirt or the giant suitcase the guy is dragging behind him. It’s not even the shocking realization that for the first time in six hours, he’s being greeted by a guest who doesn’t completely reek of booze. </p><p>No, instead Roxas’s attention snags on the hat.</p><p>Roxas doesn’t wear hats if he can help it. Sure, he would occasionally don a beanie out of sheer self-preservation during the long winters back home, but if given the choice of hat or no hat, no hat would win out every time. </p><p>This hat - <em>this fucking hat</em> - isn’t even the most hideous hat he’s ever seen. Roxas works the front desk at a well-trafficked hotel on the Vegas strip, so he’s seen a lot of awful hats. He’s seen hats that look like food. He’s seen hats that look like flower pots. He has even seen a surprising number of hats that look like dicks. Hats that look like tits. Hats that look like an adult woman’s vagina. </p><p>All things considered, this one really shouldn’t catch him so off guard. But Roxas is, as mentioned twice now, really fucking tired. </p><p>So when The Guy™ walks up to Roxas, his mouth already half open, Roxas does not wait for him to speak. He does not wait for this gentleman to give him his name and reservation details like he has with every guest that has walked through those glass doors since noon. Instead, Roxas opens his mouth and says, “Our pool is closed for the winter.”</p><p>The Guy™ blinks. </p><p>Upon closer inspection, Roxas realizes that The Guy™ also looks tired. His eyes are bloodshot and he’s got that look about him that tends to mean that the person in question has spent the last six to twelve hours on a plane. His clothes are rumpled and there’s a ketchup stain across the breast of his t-shirt. His hair, while bright and cheery as Ronald McDonald’s, is also kind of sad and limp looking, having fallen half out of what Roxas thinks was once a braid.</p><p>“Pardon?” The Guy™ asks, his tone politely puzzled.</p><p>This time, Roxas’s script should be even clearer. All he has to do is apologize and ask for the guy’s name. That’s it. </p><p>But Roxas’s mouth is still on strike, because he jerks his head up towards the hat meaningfully, and says, pointedly, “Our pool is closed for the winter.”</p><p>The Guy™ blinks again. Slowly, he removes his hat. He looks at it.</p><p>And then, it happens. </p><p>The heavens open. </p><p>A thousand smiling cherubim descend upon him. </p><p>Roxas’s night, as they say, is <em>fucking made</em>, because at that very moment, he has the genuine pleasure of watching this interesting gentleman, with his pretty hair and tired eyes and very intriguing hips, go as bright red as his hair.</p><p>The Guy™ crumples like a leaf, dropping his suitcase onto the marbled floor and burying his inferno red face in both hands. </p><p>But Roxas is a professional, so he doesn’t laugh. He simply watches with amusement as the guy peeks up at him through his hands and says in a voice choked with absolute shame, “Would you believe me if I told you that I was here for a wedding?”</p><p>“Maybe,” Roxas says agreeably, leaning most of his weight into the desk in front of him, slouching in a way that’s been trained out of him for years so that he’s just a fraction of an inch closer to this fantastic stranger. “Did the bride or the groom sneak that onto you while you were sleeping?”</p><p>“Bride,” the guy sighs, finally emerging out from behind his hands. “My sister.”</p><p>“Ah,” Roxas says, nodding sagely. “Don’t have one of those, but I’ve got a brother. I get it.”</p><p>The guy gently sets the hat on the counter, shuffling forward to block it from view of any wayward passerby. Roxas thinks about telling him about the customizable dick hats, but ultimately, he’s enjoying the guy’s blush way too much.</p><p>The hat reads, in simple blocky script: <em>I pee in pools</em>. </p><p> “So,” Roxas drawls. “What's your name? I’m assuming you aren’t <em>just</em> here to pee in our pools.”</p><p>“Nope, can’t say that was ever on the docket,” the guy says with a sigh. Quietly, he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a worn brown wallet, extracting his license and slides it across the space between them. “My name’s Axel. I promise I have a reservation.”</p><p>Roxas takes the license carefully, wrinkling his nose at the completely unpronounceable last name that he finds there. With one hand, he props the card up and then begins the painstaking process of typing out the last name letter by letter. He squints. “God, what is that, Russian?”</p><p>Axel laughs. </p><p>“Polish,” he says, propping a narrow hip against the corner of the desk. “But good guess.”</p><p>“Well, Axel 'I-couldn’t-pronounce-that-if-I-tried'” Roxas says, finishing up and pressing enter. “I found you. I’ve got you in one of the regular rooms. You wanna upgrade to one facing the volcano?”</p><p>Axel thinks about it. “<em>Do</em> I want to?”</p><p>Roxas grimaces. “Probably not. It goes off every hour and is pretty bright even if you’re on one of the higher floors. But if you like fire, it might be worth it.”</p><p>“I do like fire,” Axel muses, tapping his pointer finger against his lips. “But I think I like my sleep more.”</p><p>“Your call, dude,” Roxas tells him with a shrug. “I’ll throw it in for free if you want it, just for the hat.”</p><p>He considers for a moment longer, before shaking his head. “Think I’ll pass. I really need to at least try to sleep tonight.”</p><p>“Long flight from…” Roxas squints at the license. “New York?”</p><p>Axel sighs. “The longest. I can’t decide what I want more- the bed or the shower.”</p><p>“The shower, trust me,” Roxas tells him, blinking when he spots a coworker coming into view just over Axel’s shoulder. It’s Demyx- his starched collar pulled open at his throat, which means he’s either on break or got lucky in the bathrooms. Both are just as likely. As Roxas watches, he brings his thumb and forefinger together and brings them to his lips, inhaling theatrically before he wiggles his eyebrows in invitation. Break, then.</p><p>Roxas quirks a distracted smile his way, holding up one finger and waving him off just as Axel turns to look. </p><p>“Sorry,” Roxas says, handing Axel’s license back to him. “Coworker. Anyway, going to bed gross is the worst and the shower is totally worth the effort. Now, are you going to be wanting to put a credit card on file for the resort fees?”</p><p>It takes a grand total of twenty-two minutes to get Axel checked into his room and hand over the keys and paperwork. It would probably have taken less time, but Axel was surprisingly easy to talk to and kept making Roxas laugh. When Roxas finally finishes and passes everything over, Axel is leaning heavily into the side of the desk, his whole body drooping, and Demyx is long gone. </p><p>“And there’s your keys and welcome booklet,” Roxas tells him, trying not to shiver when their fingers unexpectedly brush. “Will you be needing anything else tonight?”</p><p>He’s half expecting another joke. Axel’s been full of them all evening, and it wouldn’t be the first time that a guest has made a pass at him when he’s asked that question. With Axel, Roxas realizes, he’s half <em>hoping</em> to get an off color remark about needing him in bed. </p><p>Instead, he gets a strange, shy smile as Axel literally scuffs his foot against the floor.</p><p>“Actually,” Axel says, slanting him a look out of the corner of his eyes. “I wouldn’t mind a tour guide. If you’re free tomorrow.”</p><p>Roxas leans forward, settling his elbow against the counter. For a moment, he just watches Axel squirm, that pretty flush making a glorious reappearance. Then he says, “You know that there are <em>literal</em> tour guides in this city, right?”</p><p>Axel shrugs sheepishly. “Yeah, well. They aren’t you.”</p><p>Roxas raises an eyebrow. Best not beat around the bush. “Are you asking me out?”</p><p>“Maybe,” Axel drawls, giving him an over the top wink and an eyebrow wiggle to finish it off. “You interested?”</p><p>Roxas shrugs, carefully nonchalant, going so far as pretending to inspect his nails. </p><p>“Could be,” he says coolly, trying to fight back a smile. “What do I get out of it?”</p><p>“Dinner?”</p><p>The corner of Roxas’s mouth quirks upwards. “Was that a question?”</p><p>“Ah, I’m doing this all wrong,” Axel hisses, scrubbing a hand through his sad, limp hair. He takes a deep breath, then fixes a pleasant smile on his face. “Sorry, I’m really fucking tired. Yes, dinner. If you’re interested. If not, no big deal.”</p><p>Roxas, because he’s a fucking asshole, pretends to think about it. </p><p>“No peeing in pools?” he asks.</p><p>Axel grins. “Not unless you’re into that kind of thing.”</p><p>“Ugh,” Roxas groans, placing the palm of his hand against the very center of Axel’s forehead before he can stop himself and shoving gently. “Go away, you’re gross.”</p><p>“Not that gross,” Axel protests, but laughs and bends to pick up his bag. </p><p>“Fine,” Roxas tells him, a real smile creeping onto his face. “I’m interested. And as it happens, I do seem to be off tomorrow.”</p><p>Axel’s eyes twinkle at him. “So you’ll be my tour guide?”</p><p>Roxas sighs. “I’ll be your tour guide.”</p><p>“Cool,” Axel says, backing away slowly. He’s not looking where he’s going, so he nearly knocks into a girl covered head to toe in pink body glitter.</p><p>By the time he’s done apologizing, Roxas isn’t even bothering to hide his snickers anymore.</p><p>“So,” Axel says. “It’s a date?”</p><p>Roxas rolls his eyes. “It’s a date.”</p><p>When five AM rolls around, Roxas hails a cab and goes home smiling, Axel’s number scrawled across his wrist. He’ll go home, take a five or six hour nap, and then he’ll introduce Axel to some of this city’s hidden wonders. The Neon Boneyard, he thinks, to start. Or maybe the Valley of Fire. Then when the evening hits, he’ll take Axel to Akhob if he can sweet talk Pence into letting them in without a reservation. </p><p>After that, he guesses he can see where the evening takes them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><a href="https://callunavulgari.tumblr.com/">My tumblr</a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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